The Consumer Council of Fiji is calling on commercial banks to ensure specific changes in Resident Interest Withholding Tax (RIWT), announced in the 2018-2019 budget, are passed down to consumers. The Minister for Economy had announced that with effect from 01 August, 2018, the interest income earned by an individual earning $30,000 or less annually […]
The 2018-2019 budget provides consumers with an opportunity to improve their quality of life. Allocations to innovative health schemes, first home owners, pensioners and an unprecedented $1billion allocation to the education sector mean more consumers have something to look forward to in the coming fiscal year. The $3.5million subsidy for Kidney Dialysis to stay alive […]
Consumers and businesses alike are looking forward to the 2018-2019 budget with various expectations of the new fiscal policies and initiatives Government will implement in the coming financial year. In May the Reserve Bank of Fiji forecasted that consumer spending is expected to remain strong largely supported by the prevailing accommodative monetary policy and Government’s […]
The use of false impressions to hype property buyers and sellers by certain real estate agents has drawn the concern of the Council. The Council understands there are certain agents who deliberately manipulate property prices by using pressure selling tactics and other gimmicks to get higher prices for commission and the issue needs urgent attention. […]
The Consumer Council of Fiji appeals Government to develop a National Health Scheme to ease the pressure on the public health systems and provide quality health care to all Fijians. A National Health Scheme/Insurance is important to the Fijian health care system to help take the pressure off public hospitals and allow the Ministry of […]
The use of false impressions to hype property buyers and sellers by certain real estate agents has drawn the concern of the Council. The Council understands there are certain agents who deliberately manipulate property prices by using pressure selling tactics and other gimmicks to get higher prices for commission and the issue needs urgent attention. […]
The continued disregard for the safety and comfort of passengers on inter-island shipping vessels needs to be addressed as matter of urgency. Numerous complaints are made every year to the council and we wonder whether Shipping Companies- who operate without regulations on service quality- are using this to absolve themselves of their responsibility to consumers. […]
A new duping tactic used to swindle consumers has come to light where fly by night traders are setting up fake companies to con consumers out of money. The latest case reported to the council involves a Labasa school which received an email from a phony trader- Pacific Technologies Office Supplies- offering desktop computers for […]
THE Consumer Council of Fiji is again expressing concern at the conduct of unscrupulous traders who are taking payment for goods but are not supplying them. It seems that there are traders who will stop at nothing to make a quick buck. The latest case reported to the council involves a Labasa school that paid […]
Investigations are well underway regarding issues pertaining to the CARE programmes which have been initiated for post cyclone relief assistance. A taskforce comprising of staff members from the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) and Consumer Council of Fiji (CCoF) have begun investigating the concerns regarding the manner in which some businesses have responded to […]
A Consumer Council of Fiji regional survey has uncovered more cases of price gouging by HOMES- CARE assistance vendors. The survey was conducted to gauge the impact of the HOMES-CARE Initiative on Prices of White Goods and the results paint a poor picture of some vendors working under the HOMES-CARE initiative. During the survey, prices […]
The Consumer Council of Fiji is alarmed that some vendors under the HOMES-CARE assistance scheme continue to hike their prices to take advantage of the victims of National Disaster. Recipients of HOMES-CARE assistance are being robbed of a chance to replace more household items because some unscrupulous vendors continue to use tactics to either push […]
The Consumer Council of Fiji strongly urges HOMES-CARE initiative consumers in the Western Division to be wary of cash-back and other promotions provided by traders. This in light of concerns raised by a consumer who was a recipient of the relief assistance scheme. The complainant visited the trader’s branch in Rakiraki to buy a LCD […]
Online trader Elegant Wear has drawn the concern of the Consumer Council of Fiji for accepting money from consumers and failing to deliver the purchased products. The Council has received 13 complaints worth $26,590 against Elegant Wear, a company which markets its products via social networking site Facebook. Items are normally imported to Fiji after […]
Consumers are urged to beware of misleading advertisements when out for their grocery shopping in Supermarkets. This call from the Consumer Council of Fiji comes in light of the market surveillances carried out in Labasa on 26 April 2018. The findings of this survey uncovered a prominent supermarket advertising that “a 4litre Dukes Canola Oil […]